Peters



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. r

H. A. FLEUSS.

AIR PUMP.

No. 363,622. Patented-May 24, 1887.

Wc'neww Q Inventor" BL PETERS, Pholo-Liwognpher. Wlihinglnn, KL

(No Model.)

Witnzwwr A 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. A. FLEUSS.

AIR PUMP.

Patented May 24, 1887.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Shet a. H. A. FLEUSS.

AIR PUMP. No. 363,622. Patented May 24, 1887. l

(No Model.) LSh-eet-Sheet 4.

H. A. PLEUSS.

AIR PUMP. No. 363,622.- Patented May 24, 1887.

Wim'emrw Mm mafi i I UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY ALBERT FLEUSS, OF N EIVTOWN ISLE OF IVIGHT, ENGLAND.

AIR-PUMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,622, dated May 24,1887.

Application filed October 4,1886. Serial No. 215,266. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ALBERT FLEUSS,

' a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Newtown, Isle of Wight, England, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is mainly to produce an air-pump especially adapted for use in a portable freezing or refrigerating machine capable of rapidly freezing or cooling comparatively small quantities of water or vaporizable liquid. I eifect the freezing of the bulk of the liquid by the well-known process of vaporizing a portionof the liquid by means of a vacuum aided by the absorption of the vaporized steam by sulphuric acid or other absorbent of aqueous vapor.

My improvements in air-pumps, some of which, obviously, may be used otherwise than in freezing and refrigerating machines acting in the above manner, are shown in the drawings hereunto annexed, and are specially designated by my claims.

Figure 1 shows a plan view, and Fig. 2 a vertical section, of the machine. Fig. 3 shows a vertical section on a larger scale of the delivery-valve of the pump and of the parts employed for preventing escape of oil from the oil-chamber, which is above this valve. Fig. 4 shows a vertical section of the piston and part of the piston-rod. Fig. 5 shows a vertical section of the lower end of the pump-cylinder and of the suction-valve, and Fig. 6 shows a vertical section of the joint between the acid-receptacle and its lid. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation showing a modified form.

In Fig. 1, A is a vessel to contain liquid to be frozen. B is a glass vessel containing sulphuric acid. 0 is the cylinder of the airpump; D, a hand-lever by which the pistonrod of the pump is worked up and down. The lever. is shown to be formed in two parts jointed together. This is convenient, as it allows of the apparatus being packed in small space.

E is the lid of the vessel B. It is formed of lead and has an angle-iron ring, 6, around its outer edge. Above the lid is an iron ring, 0', with arms radiating from it. The glass vessel stands on another iron ring,'e from which these straps.

iron straps e are carried upward. The ends of the radial arms are made to enter holes-in Each arm has a screw, 0 passing through it, and the end of the screw is made to bear upon the top of the angle-iron ring 6, so that by turning the screws the lid can be forced downward onto the top of the glass vessel or jar.

To make a tight joint between the lid and jar, which shall prevent the escape of acid and also be air-tight, I forma groove all around the outer edge of the cover, as shown in Fig. 6. Into it I insert an elastic ring, Z. The thin tongue of lead 2 left below the groove does not extend to the outer circumference of the top of the jar, so that when the lid is forced down onto the top of the jar the thin tongue of lead makes'a liquid-tight joint around the inner circumference of the top of'the jar, which the sulphuric acid cannot pass, while the elastic ring Z maintains this joint and makes an air-tight joint around its outer circumference. In this way the elastic ring is protected from being injured by the acid. To still further insure obtaining a tight joint, I paint over the top of the jar and the under side of the outer circumference of the lid and its elastic ring with paraffine, and while the parafline is still soft and thejar and lid being warm also, I put the lid into its place on the top of the jar and force it down by the screwbolts. In this way a most perfect joint is obtained.

The lid E is provided with a filling-hole closed by a plug, and also it is formed with two sockets, into which are soldered the ends of two pipes, F G, which pass upward and carry a tap, H. The tap has extending from it adisk, I, which is to form the lid or cover of the vessel A.

I is a ring of soft material interposed between the top of the vessel A and the disk I, to secure a tight joint. The vessel A is held up by the vacuum in the apparatus. A nozzle, I, is also provided below the disk, to allow of the neck of a flask being held up to the tap in place of a vessel, A, of the form shown.

By the tap H a communication can be opened between the interior of the vessel A and the pipe F, leading to the acid-vessel B. The socket into which the lower end of this pipe.

enters is, as shown in Fig. 2, carried down nearly to the level of the acid in the vessel, so that all air or vapor passing down the pipe F is brought into close proximity with the acid. The pipe G is closed at top. A branch pipe, G, is led off from it to the bottom of the pumpcylinder below the suction-valve. While the pump is beingworked the acid in the vessel B is kept agitated by an agitator-blade, J, on a vertical axis, J, which passes out through a stufiing-box in the lid E, and has an arm extending from it, which, by a link, is coupled to one arm of a bell-crank, K, the other arm of which is linked to the lever D The advantage derived from carrying the agitator 011 a vertical axis is that the axis can be ledout through an ordinary stuflingbox with which the acid does not come into contact.

The pump is formed of a piston, a, which can be worked up and down in a vertical cylinder, G, which has above it a small reservoir, R, for containing oil or other liquid which will not vaporize under a vacuum. The suctionvalve L is at the apex of a cone, which forms the bottom of the cylinder, so that a gutter, c, is formed around the suction-valve.

During the downstroke of the piston 12. a small quantity of oil is caused, as hereinafter explained, to be at the bottom of the cylinder. The bottom of the piston a is made with a corresponding conical hollow, so that at the end of its downstroke it mayfit closely into the gutter c at the bottom of the cylinder. Nearly at the end of the downstroke the bottom edge of the piston enters the oil. The air, previously in the cylinder, is thereby inclosed in the hollow on the under side of the piston, and as the piston completes its stroke the air is expelled past the piston-valve P and afterward the oil, so that all trace of air is effectually expelled from below the piston.

The suction-valve L is lifted mechanically during the greater part of each upstroke of the piston. To do this, and yet avoid friction on the lifting mechanism, or between the valvestem and the guides in which it works, I form the parts in the following manner: The suction-valve L has a tubular rod, M, extending upward from it. The valve is not directly attached to the rod; but a wire, M, with a hook attachment at its lower end is carried upward from the valve and is soldered to the .top of the tubular rod M at M as shown at Fig. 4. This arrangement gives freedom of play between the valve and rod. The rod M passes up through the center of the piston n and through the center of the pistonvalve P and into the hollow piston-rod N. At the lower end of the piston-rod is a springclip, N, which clips the tubeM and holds it with a sufficient grip to lift the valve when the piston-rod moves upward. The valve L is prevented from being lifted too far from its seat by a cross-pin, Z, passed through the valvestem, coming against the top of slots formed in the guide, in which the valve-stem works. Just before the piston arrives at the top of its stroke the clip N passes beyond thetop of the tube M, and, as the parts of the clip do not spring together sufficientl y close to allow them to take any hold of the wire M,the valve is no longer upheld and drops down onto its seat.

The way in which the piston or pump bucket is formed is shown at Fig. 4. A leather, 0, forms a tight joint between it and the pumpcylinder 0. The valve P is formed of a disk of leather, with a central hole formed through it, up through which the tube M passes. Above this is a metal disk carrying on the top of it another disk of leather. The holes through the leather disks are made to fit the tube M easily.

Q is the delivery-valve at the top of the cylinder 0. It is composed of a disk of leather resting above openings formed through the cylinder-cover. The disk is formed as ahy draulic collar With a flange or inverted-cupshaped projection standing up from its center, which embraces the piston-rod,so that it makes a tight stuffingbox joint where the pistonrod passes out from the top of the cylinder, as well as serving as a valve. The disk of leather with its conical upward projection is kept in form by a metal ring, Q.

Above the top ofthe cylinder is an oil-chamber, B, so that the delivery-valve may be always covered with oil. Rflis a disk passing across the interior of the oil chamber. It serves as a stop to prevent the delivery-valve from being lifted too high on the upward stroke of the piston. At the completion of the upstroke also, when oil is forced from the pump-cylinder into the oil-vessel, it prevents the oil from being thrown violently upward,

the" only passage'through it being just above.

the delivery-valve. To prevent any oil which may be ejected upward through this hole being thrown out from the top ofthe oil-vessel, the piston-rod is made to pass through a hole in the center of a disk of leather, S. This disk of leather is between two stops, 8 8 which keep it from moving too far up and down with the piston-rod. The stops are carried by the cover of the oil-chamber, and this cover is coned downward, as shown at Fig. 3, to still further insure that no oil shall be ejected from the chamber. Any oil entering the bottom of the oil-chamber and rising up through it must, as will be seen, pursue avery circuitous course before it can escape at the top.

T T are small cavities in the side of the pump-cylinder O. The bottom of the pumppiston passes above these cavities just at the end of its upward stroke.

The quantity of oil in the apparatus should be such that at the end of the upstroke of the pump-piston the space above the piston may be full of oil, and the oil should also stand about to the level of the disk R. In work ing the pump toward the completion of the upstroke some of the oil above the piston passes into the cavities TT in the sides of the cylinder, and when the piston has risen above these cavities the oil within them falls to the bottom of the cylinder and serves at the completion of the next downward stroke to sweep out all air from the lower part of the cylinder, as before explained.

The action of the apparatus is as follows:

I The tap H being closed, a few strokes of the pump are given until a good vacuum is obtained in the vessel B, containing the sulphuric acid. The vessel A, containing asmall quantity of liquid to be frozen, is now applied to the disk I or nozzle 1 and the tap is opened. The vacuum then at once holds up the vessel. The pump is now again set to work to remove the air which was contained in the vessel A. Any vapor given off from theliquid is absorbed by the acid, and this continues until, by evaporation of some of the liquid, the remainder is frozen. In order to be able to obtain solid blocks of ice in the above manner, a small quantity of liquid should first be frozen in the vessel A, and then a further quantity of liquid may be introduced into the vessel through a tap, U, (see Fig. 1,) and frozen, and so on until a block of the desired thickness is obtained.

Fig. 7 shows a vertical section of my apparatus in a modified form. a is adouble vessel of stoneware, servingboth to contain the acid and to receive an inner vessel, b, with the liquid to be cooled or frozen. The vessel a is jacketed in thin lead, and to render it completely air-tight it is baked and paraffine is introduced between the stoneware and the j acket, so as to run into every cavity. The separate acid-vessel, shown in the preceding figures, may also be made in this way and the leaden coversoldcred on. c is an air-pump,asalready described, except that the piston is worked up and down by a handle fixed directly to its rod. The pump is connected with the vessel a bya pipe and a leaden stopper, (7, which is rendered perfectly air-tight by means of a soft cement, such as beeswax and oil. 6 is a cover. Its lower edge is enveloped in vulcanized india rubber, so that when it is applied it may fit air-tight. f is a stop-cock on the cover by which and by a suitable flexible pipe the liquid to be frozen can be admitted in small quantities. The cock f also serves to destroy the vacuum when it is desired to open the apparatus.

The apparatus is worked in .the following manner: Supposing the object be to freeze water, a small quantity is placed in the vessel 1), the cover e is applied, and the pump is worked, the foot then being placed in the stirrup 9. When a sufficient vacuum is obtained, the stirrup is turned up out of the way and the apparatus, which is mounted on rockers h, is rocked to mix the acid. Afterward pumpingis recommenced, and, if desired, more water may be admitted. The vapor from the water finds its way down around the sides and beneath the bottom of the vessel b, and so to the acid.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the suction-valve L, the rod M, linked therewith, and the springclip N, moving with the piston n and raising the valve L and releasing it before the piston reaches the end of its-stroke, substantially as described.

2. The combination of an air-pump cylinder, 0, and oil or liquid receiving cavities T T in the side thereof, passed over by the piston n, the whole forming an-apparatus for admitting measured quantities of liquid into the cylinder to insure the complete expulsiouof air therefrom on the return of the piston, substantially as described.

3, The combination of the piston'rod M, the exit-apertures at the top of the cylinder 0, the cupped or flanged valve Q, and the stop R, the whole forminga device by which the exit-valve of the air-puinp is automatically opened and closed, while also a tight joint is maintained around the piston-rod, substantially as described.

HENRY ALBERT FLEUSS. Witnesses:

WALTER J. SKE TEN,

l7 Gracechurch St, London, E. C. CHAS. BERKLEY HARRIS,

Notary Public, London. 

